Always include the wedding band in your plans. The wedding band can help you create a memorable meaningful event; so, don't treat them as an afterthought. Make sure your wedding band leader knows as much as possible about your music tastes, guest demographics, venue characteristics, the evening's timeline, your expectations, etc. Discuss the music styles to be played; the band breaks; and the pacing of your reception. Understand their contract; and familiarize yourself both with their responsibilities and your responsibilities regarding load-in, setup time, "Green Room", food and beverage, etc. Above all, make sure your other vendors provide the wedding band leader all the support he needs to deliver on his promises to you.

What is the difference between Bacchus and a "wedding band booking agency"?

Bacchus Group Productions is a full-fledged professional multinational production company. We have created and exclusively manage all of the proprietary wedding bands, orchestras, smaller ensembles and dance troupes on our roster. We carefully auditioned every musician and dancer who works with us; and then painstakingly rehearsed every ensemble until it was ready to perform. As the creators, producers, managers and "owners" of all our ensembles, we are able to maintain strict quality controls. By dealing with Bacchus, you are working directly with "the source" (without the "middleman"). This is exactly the same way savvy music entertainment bookers (at major corporations, casinos, resorts, theme parks, performing arts series, international music festivals and famous music clubs) purchase professional live music entertainment.

A "wedding band booking agency" is basically a "middleman". Although many booking agents have valid experience (and may even have your best interest at heart), the fact remains that they have absolutely nothing to do with the artists on their roster, other than to check on their availability for you and collect a commission or "kickback" from the respective group, if and when you book them for your wedding. Booking agents are basically salesmen. At Bacchus, we are the source - the creators, producers and managers. The buck stops with us. It's the difference between buying at retail and buying at the wholesale level.

What is your company's work ethic?

Everyone in the global corporate and wedding entertainment industry acknowledges that Bacchus Group Productions runs the "tightest ship" in the entertainment business. We set very high musical, professional and ethical standards for all of our musicians and employees; and everyone supports our company motto: Non ut sibi minstretur sed ut ministret. ("Not to be served but to serve.")

Additionally, besides being highly talented professionals, all of our musicians are impeccable ladies and gentlemen. They clearly understand that they are an important part of a larger team whose sole purpose is to serve you, your family and your guests at one of the most important and sacred events in your life. To that end, all of our musicians have signed a contract with Bacchus whereby they agree to abide by the following company rules:

•	All musicians arrive and load-in their respective instruments, at least 1 hour before they are scheduled to perform. You will never see a Bacchus musician arriving 15 minutes before he or she is to perform; frantically loading in his or her equipment; desperately looking for a place to "plug in"; and upsetting the calm and flow of your reception. Caterers and Venue Banquet Managers appreciate our generous consideration and team spirit. And so will you.
•	There is no consumption of alcoholic beverages either prior to, during, or at the conclusion of your event. (Musicians are working and are not guests at your party.)
•	Musicians will not fraternize with any of your guests. (Musicians are working and are not guests at your party.)
•	No smoking on stage or other forbidden areas of the venue.
•	Foul, offensive or loud language is strictly forbidden.
•	Empty equipment and instrument cases are forbidden anywhere on or near the stage or performance area.
•	Eating from the guest buffets or drinking (even nonalcoholic beverages) from the guest bars is forbidden. (Musicians are working and are not guests at your party.)
•	Musicians are always impeccably dressed and groomed, according to our strict hygienic and fashion standards.

What is the difference between "non-continuous" and "continuous" wedding band music?

"Non-continuous" means the wedding band takes regularly scheduled intermissions. Our wedding bands and ensembles follow the guidelines established by the union of the International Federation of Musicians (IFM) which mandates a minimum 10-minute intermission, after every 50 minutes of performance time. The only exception to this rule is during the dancing portion of the evening. Our first dance set is usually 1 hour long and then we take our first 10-minute intermission. Thereafter, we take a 10-minute intermission, after every 50 minutes of performance time.

"Continuous" means the wedding band performs nonstop, from start to finish, without any intermissions. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the entire wedding band remains on stage for the entire night, although it can mean that. However, it does mean that there is always at least 1 musician on stage performing at all times. Naturally, the "continuous" option is more expensive, since those musicians who perform nonstop without an intermission are paid a premium.

But, won’t the party "die" if the wedding band takes an intermission in the middle of the dancing portion of the evening?

Absolutely not. This is one of the greatest misconceptions perpetrated by unscrupulous wedding band leaders on a naive and unsuspecting public. "Continuous music" is a scam to bilk unsuspecting customers out of exorbitant premium fees. The real secret to keeping your guests dancing - while the wedding band takes an intermission - is to make sure the music never stops, i.e., that there is no "break" or "gap" in the music coming from the wedding band and/or from the CD.

Our company's Managing Director and Executive Producer, Maximilian, is an internationally-recognized DJ whose credentials extend all the way back to "Studio 54" - the legendary New York City '70's disco dance club. He has personally trained all of our Sound Engineer/DJ's in the art of the seamless segué from live to recorded CD music and back again.

During the wedding band's intermission, our Sound Engineer/DJ keeps the dance floor jumping by playing preproduced custom dance CD's at the exact same volume level and tempo as the band. Basically, there is never any "dead time" on the dance floor and your guests don’t even realize the band has taken a break. This continuous flow of "live" to "recorded" to "live" music is professionally produced, seamless and guaranteed.

These wedding band intermissions are actually a great opportunity to play specialized music, e.g., Irish, Polish, Middle Eastern, Klezmer, Greek, Indian, Bangra, Banda, Tejano, Hip Hop, Rap, etc., or any other style of music which you and your guests may want to hear; but, which the wedding band may not necessarily perform.

What is a "New York-style" wedding reception?

In a "New York-style" reception, the entire wedding band performs as the doors open into the main reception ballroom for the dinner portion of the evening. The band plays soft background music while your guests eat and then kicks-up the beat for dancing between courses. With this type of reception, it is imperative that the caterer or hotel Banquet Manager give the wedding band leader specific ongoing directions, so that he knows which type of music to perform at exactly the right moment. For this type of reception to be successful, clear communication with the wedding band leader is essential.

Who from the wedding band will serve as our Master of Ceremony?

One of our charismatic lead vocalists will gladly serve as your Master of Ceremony for the evening, at no additional charge. All of our lead vocalists are also professional voice actors and can be heard on countless national radio commercials. Consequently, they have the poise, charm and articulate voice to animate any proceedings. At the time of the signing of your contract, simply advise us if you'll need this service and we'll gladly arrange it for you.

What is the size and instrumentation of your wedding bands?

There is no standard size to any of our wedding bands and we are flexible regarding size - offering our clients a 6-piece to a full 13-piece orchestra. However, instrumentation is another story.

The essence of any wedding band is what is called the Rhythm Section, i.e., keyboards; electric and acoustic bass guitar; drums; and electric and acoustic guitar. These 4 musicians are the core of any band, without which we are seriously hampered in our ability to perform a wide variety of music styles. To this foursome, add a female and a male lead vocalist, and you now have the minimum size for any of our wedding bands - the Sextet or 6-piece version.

Next you have the Horn Section. The bare minimum Horn Section is trumpet, tenor sax and trombone. All of our original and proprietary horn arrangements require at least these 3 horn "voices". However, in order for a wedding band to perform our more intricate and beautiful horn arrangements, e.g., big band, swing, Ellington, Basie, Sinatra, Blood Sweat & Tears, Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, James Brown, Tito Puente, Gloria Estefan, Celia Cruz, et al., you'll need the full 5-piece Horn Section, i.e., lead trumpet, solo trumpet, trombone, tenor sax and baritone sax.

Last but not least is the Percussion Section. All modern North American dance music (e.g., R&B, soul, Motown, funk, disco, hip hop, pop, etc.) as well as all Caribbean and South American dance music (e.g., Santana, Gloria Estefan, Celia Cruz, Gipsy Kings, Shakira, Tito Puente, etc.) is very percussion intensive. Percussion is the essence of the "modern sound". To authentically perform any of these music styles, we highly recommend at least one 1 percussionist who plays the congas, bongos, timbales, and all of the other wonderful, exotic, colorful bells, whistles, wood blocks, chimes and gourds.

To recap, our wedding bands are available as a minimum 6-piece version; a deluxe 13-piece version; any size in between; or larger, if you'd like additional vocalists or percussionists.

May we see a list of clients for whom your wedding bands have performed?

Absolutely. Please go to our Selected List of Association, Corporate, Government and Private Clients. If our discussion progresses to the level where you are seriously interested in having one of our wedding bands perform for your reception, we'll give you specific referrals with contact names and telephone numbers.

Will your wedding bands learn any special new songs for our event?

Even though our current repertoire list includes over 2500+ songs, we are always willing to learn new songs for your "First Dance", the "Father/Daughter Dance" and the "Mother/Son Dance". We will gladly learn up to 3 new custom songs for you, under the following conditions: a) you provide us the sheet music and a CD copy of the songs, at least 5-6 months in advance; and b) if they are songs which are especially difficult and require a lot of rehearsals, you are willing to pay the cost of the musicians' rehearsal time. In addition, if you do not have the sheet music or a CD copy of the song(s), you must be willing to incur the additional cost for us to research, find and purchase these materials for you.

Are your wedding bands willing to travel?

We possess the necessary work permits, diplomatic documents and logistical experience for our wedding bands to perform anywhere in the world. We'll gladly go wherever you need us and handle all of the details for you with one simple invoice.

In addition, since all of our musicians are professional studio and touring musicians, they are used to raveling the world backing some of the biggest names in the entertainment business. As we say in the business, have "ax" (i.e., music instrument) and passport … will travel.

What is the price range of your wedding bands?

Our Performance Fees are based on several factors: the size of the wedding band which you select; in which city your event will take place; the total number of performance hours; the number of guests, etc., and if applicable, travel premiums, airfare, hotel accommodations, additional sound reinforcement equipment for larger venues, etc. Our experienced event producers will gladly prepare a detailed custom proposal for you, without any commitment on your part or cost to you. Kindly fill in our online Request for Proposal and one of our experienced event producers will contact you promptly.

How much performance space do your wedding bands require? Do they require a stage?

For the full 13-piece version of any of our wedding bands, we require an optimum performance space of 16' deep by 32' wide. For smaller version of our groups, we can work within a smaller space. However, keep in mind, that we are flexible (within reason) and will work with you and the venue if you need us to make do with less space. As part of our extensive customer service, we'll visit your venue and give you our honest opinion regarding the maximum amount of space required for a specific ensemble.

Furthermore, we do not require a stage for any of our wedding bands. However, if you'd like us to perform on a stage, then you must assume the cost of providing professional staging and risers, fully-functioning, and in a safe and good condition, per our specifications.

What are the wedding band's electric power requirements?

For smaller ensembles, we require 2 dedicated 20-amp circuits. For the full-size wedding bands, we will need 3 to 4 dedicated 20-amp circuits. Depending on how large a stage lighting system you’d like for your event, we will need 1 to 2 additional 20-amp circuits.

How much load-in and setup time does the wedding band require?

In order to be fully loaded-in, setup and sound-checked by the time your cocktail reception begins, we require 3-4 hours.

However, sometimes, the ceremony and dinner/dancing are in the same room. This usually gives us only 1 hour to load-in, setup and sound check, while your party is in another room for the cocktail reception. We are more than willing to accommodate such a tight time frame; however, we do reserve the right to charge a premium, because of the additional labor required to properly accomplish this task within the short 1 hour time frame.

Do your wedding bands carry General Liability and Workman Compensation insurance?

Absolutely. We carry US$2 million in General Liability insurance as well as Workman’s Compensation insurance for our musicians.

Do your wedding bands perform ethnic or folk music?

Absolutely. As we all know, North America, South America and Europe are multicultural societies. We provide the wedding bands for many weddings a year, half of which include some element of ethnic or folk music, be it Irish, Italian, Jewish, Polish, German, French, Spanish, Greek, Eastern European, African-American, Indian (Asian), Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Caribbean, Central American, South American, et al.

For advice on including ethnic or folk music in your ceremony or reception, please feel free to consult with any of our wedding coordinators. Whether it's a Scottish/Irish bagpiper, a Mexican mariachi group, an Italian mandolin ensemble, African drummers, traditional Jewish klezmer hora melodies, Spanish gypsy flamenco rhythms, a romantic South American vocal guitar trio, a French chanteuse or any other traditional ethnic or folk music, we have the experience and the musicians to help you include an authentic touch of the "old country" in your reception.

What is the dress code for your wedding bands?

We take great pride in our always fashionably attired and impeccably groomed musicians. Normally, the male musicians perform in classic black wool tuxedos with elegant silk brocade vests. The females are either in elegant long sleek black gowns or tasteful short black cocktail dresses. If the client desires, instead of tuxedos, the males can wear their elegant black or navy blue custom "euro" suits by Armani, Versace, Gucci, Hugo Boss or Dolce & Gabbana, with a powder blue shirt and tasteful silk tie.

As you travel through our website, you’ll see many photos of our male and female musicians. Besides talent, poise, charm and personality, we sincerely believe our artists are some of the most physically attractive musicians in the music entertainment industry.

How does the wedding band select the list of songs it will perform at my wedding reception? May I have any input into the creation of that list?

By all means, yes. Once you contract one of our wedding bands for your reception, we'll ask you to review our repertoire list of 2500 songs and select your favorites, your parents' favorites, etc. We'll also ask you to cross out any songs which you absolutely do not want to hear. Finally, we'll request demographic information from you, e.g., what are your guests' ages, percentage of males to females, ethnic groups (if any), etc. We then take all of your input and generate a custom play list created specifically to reflect your personal taste in music.

In addition, the night of your event, the wedding band leader will discretely mingle with your guests during the cocktail reception; and based on any last minute requests from your guests, he’ll fine tune the play list.

Additionally, he’ll continue to fine tune the list, during the dancing portion of the evening. This guarantees that the mix of music styles performed by the wedding band is always guided by what your guests are responding to. Every wedding party is unique and the band’s "radar" instantaneously picks-up on your guests’ music "hot points".

After all is said and done, it is important for you to let the wedding band leader do what he does best, i.e., utilize his years of experience to intuitively "read" your crowd the night of the event and perform a fun diverse repertoire of music which will appeal to everyone in attendance.

What are your wedding band deposit requirements?

Upon signing of our non-cancelable Production Services Contract, we require a 50% deposit of the total value of the contract. The balance is due two (2) weeks prior to your event.

What is your wedding band cancellation policy?

Our contract is non-cancelable by either party, except for cases of force majeure, i.e., a major catastrophic event beyond your or our control.

Please note that when you sign a contract with us, we will not cancel on you for any reason - except in the case of the above mentioned force majeure. In other words, you have a 100% ironclad guarantee that our wedding band will be there for you as promised. So, once we sign on the dotted line, our company and musicians will turn down any future opportunities for your date - even if it means passing on a lucrative contract to play for the Sultan of Qatar on his private island in the Mediterranean!

What is your policy regarding the reservation of a wedding band for a date?

Our policy is first come, first served. For example, let's say you are the first person to ask us to "hold" the wedding band for a particular date for you. We'll place a "courtesy hold" on the date, pending our meeting you in person. If someone else calls regarding this same date, they will have the second "courtesy hold" after you. However, if during the time that we are continuing our discussions with you, client # 2 decides that they want to move forward with us and are ready to give us a deposit, we will contact you and give you 48 hours to make a decision. If you want the date, then we require a signed contract with a deposit within 48 hours. If you don't want the date or are not ready to commit, then - after 48 hours - we will move forward with client # 2.

What is the proper etiquette regarding a gratuity for the wedding band?

First of all, a gratuity for the wedding band or any of our company’s support personnel the night of your event is completely optional. If you decide to honor us with a gratuity, the amount is at your discretion. However, proper etiquette dictates that you give it directly to the wedding band leader, in a sealed envelope, anytime during the evening.

Are we expected to provide food and beverages for the wedding band?

Although traditionally, in many societies - including Europe, Asia and South America - clients always feed the wedding band, we certainly do not expect or require you to feed all the musicians.

However, we do request that you kindly provide continuous nonalcoholic beverage service, i.e., coffee, tea, soft drinks, juices and bottled water, for the wedding band for the duration of the contract. Furthermore, we request that you kindly provide hot dinner entrées for the sound engineers, the wedding band leader, the production coordinator, and any musicians who are performing for the ceremony, cocktails and/or dinner portions of the evening. Since these are the personnel who are logging in the longest hours at your event - without an opportunity to go off premises for a meal - we think it only fair that you provide them a decent dinner.

What else can we do to ensure a fun, exciting, interesting and memorable event?

Over the past 25 years, we’ve produced the music entertainment for thousands of weddings worldwide. Based on this firsthand experience, we’ve created a list of "Things Which Can Stifle Your Wedding Party". Although it’s common sense to us, we find that many prospective clients have not given much thought to many of these issues. It would be worthwhile for you to study this list and heed its advice.

Things Which Can Stifle Your Wedding Party

•	Too many speeches and very long rambling speeches. (Keep the speaker list short; and insist that everyone prepare and rehearse their respective speeches.)
•	Micromanagement of music by client or bridal consultant. (This inhibits the wedding band leader from using his considerable experience, expertise and professional intuition to select the music which will result in a memorable evening.)
•	Client insists on personally selecting every song which the wedding band will perform. (This is a surefire recipe for disaster. There's an old adage in the business, "Let the baker bake the cake". Your input is always welcomed; but, let the pros do their job.)
•	A guest, a friend or family member who performs a song with the wedding band and then won't leave the stage.
•	A guest, a friend or family member who's had a little too much to drink and insists on performing with the wedding band, even though he can't remember the name of the song, the lyrics or how it goes.
•	Disorganization and/or bad timing by the caterer or the hotel Banquet Manager. For example, stopping the wedding band for a speech, the serving of food, a champagne march, a presentation video, etc., while everyone stands on the dance floor in confusion and the aforementioned event doesn't happen. (Always include your wedding band leader in the planning process - especially when planning significant events during the evening which require the band's participation.)
•	Instructing your photographer to take group photos in the middle of the dancing portion of the evening, forcing the wedding band leader to constantly clear the dance floor. (Always include your wedding band leader in the planning process - especially when planning significant events during the evening which require the band's participation.)
•	Placing your main bar and/or sweets table outside of the main dancing room. (Guests will leave the room, congregate around the bar and/or sweets table, start up conversations, and the majority of them will not return to the dance floor. No matter how wonderful the band is, they cannot compete with alcohol and sugar in another room.)
•	Booking a venue which has many different rooms. (Guests will roam and many will not return to the main dancing room.)
•	If your reception is on a Sunday, don't start it too late. (Guests always leave early, due to work and school commitments on Monday.)
•	Don't insist that the dance floor always be full. (Some clients panic because the dance floor is not packed all night. However, a "full" dance floor is not the barometer of a successful wedding dance party - a happy content audience is. The dance floor has an "ebb and flow". Sometimes the floor is packed with one segment of your audience who responds to a certain style of music. At other times, the floor is not as full, as a smaller segment of your audience responds to a different style of music. If the wedding band is concert quality, sometimes guests simply grab a drink, sit down and enjoy the music. A confident professional quality wedding band will not pressure your guests into constantly dancing by performing one song after another in a long monotonous robotic drone with a constant beat - similar to what a dj does. The better wedding bands have the confidence and professionalism to vary the pace, tempo and music style, even if it means that sometimes the dance floor is not "packed".)

Once we've decided to hire one of wedding bands, what is our next step? What are the important guideposts leading up to the reception?

First of all, we will generate a detailed non-cancelable Production Services Contract and snailmail, fax or email it to you. You will have 10-14 days to return it to us signed and with a deposit for 50% of the the full value of the contract. Once we receive your signed contract with the deposit, we too will generate contracts with all of the musicians, thereby locking them in for your event.

Approximately 5-6 months before your date, we will need your special request songs, e.g., the "First Dance", the "Father/Daughter Dance" and the "Mother/Son Dance".

About 1 month before your wedding, we will schedule a venue site visit with you and the venue manager. At this meeting, we will discuss your guest demographics, the music flow, your music likes and dislikes, the schedule for the evening, finalize the playlist, etc.

The night of your event, an experienced production coordinator from our company will be on-site the entire evening to coordinate all aspects of the live music with you, the catering company, the Banquet Manager, et al.